


If all the snakes live in one place, who would approach?

by gresh_say_whah



Category: Split (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Friendship, Relationship(s), Zoology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2018-11-04 16:05:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10994307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gresh_say_whah/pseuds/gresh_say_whah
Summary: After finally leaving her abusive uncle's house at 18, Casey is finally living the life she has always wanted. Landing a full time job while studying zoology at the city's best university not only reunites Casey with her first love of animals but maybe something else entirely.





	1. On the Up and Up

**Author's Note:**

> A good friend of mine told me to do something that terrifies me this year, so here I am posting a fic for readers to read. 
> 
> Well, here goes nothin' !

"So you've got your shirt and reading materials, what else? Oh! Your key of course!"

     Miss Lorraine, affectionately called Miss Lou-Lou, scrambled through her organized chaos of a desk. Casey looked around the small office as Ms.Lou-Lou struggled to find the key to the reptile house. As the new junior supervisor, she was expected to be here every morning at 7am and work in tandem with the reptile supervisor in the daily upkeep along with give the occasional tour to screaming elementary school students. Lucky for her that she had been a rather quiet student who was entranced by the snakes more than any elementary school student was.

      Ms.Lou-Lou had taken note and had asked if she would be interested in volunteering on Saturday mornings. Casey was only too happy to be away from her Uncle John a few hours a day on Saturdays; having had both parents pass before her 6th birthday would have been rough on any kid but add in good ole Uncle John, only too happy to remind Casey how lucky she was that he took her in and was a repeat physical abuser - let's just say Casey was only too happy to have turned 18 and finally be given access to her trust that her parents had left to her. The first year she lived on her own was spent living in a not-so-great area of the city while she worked full time to pay for tuition at the city college that was partnered with the same zoo.

“Aha! Here it is, dear” she passed the bronze key with it’s plush alligator key chain to the younger girl.

“Thanks again Lou-Lou” Casey wasted no time in attaching the key to her house keys.

“Now, every morning you report here to get a glimpse on who’s working where for the day. I’m not always in the office but the map is updated the night before so you know where to find me” she pointed to the very large zoo map that was mounted on the wall right outside her office. Casey looked out and made note of the neat box script that covered it – not Ms.Lou-Lou’s curly script at all.

“Who updates the map every night?”

“That would be Kev- nope, nope, nope, I’m sorry dear. Dennis. Dennis is our master map maker” the older woman looked at her watch and noticed that time had slipped her yet again. Casey smiled at the signature ‘Lou-Lou is late’.

“Well I’m gonna stop by the reptile house to get reacquainted with Moe and meet some of the new animals too” the brunette secured her backpack over her left shoulder as Ms.Lou-Lou’s phone rang.

        Casey found her clothing too restricting, had she known Ms.Lou-Lou wasn’t even going to formally interview her, she wouldn’t have borrowed Claire’s clothes. Not that her blonde roommate was upset, it seemed both her and Marcia were very welcoming of their closets. They had known Casey in high school and even though she kept to herself (never a friend in site) when Casey reached out to their ad for a new roommate, they didn’t hesitate to say yes. After having spent a year in therapy, Casey was more eager to create relationships with others; the two girls were much more understanding than Casey would have ever imagined once she had been caught in a terrible panic attack (that she rarely experienced since leaving Uncle John’s house) and opened up about her previous home life.   
  
        Her thoughts were interrupted by the site of a reptile house that she hadn’t seen in almost 4 years; it had been remodeled and modernized in order to expand the volume of animals that could be housed along with better viewing areas of the animals. Casey walked into her new work home and found a small group of elementary school children surrounded by a man in the zoo’s signature yellow polo. As she approached she noticed that they were talking about Moe, the boa constrictor. Another 2 employees held up the majority of the snake’s 6 foot body while the speaker had his torso wrapped with the head on his right shoulder.

         She was struck first at how large Moe had gotten, he was a rescue from a police raid years ago. The second was at the man himself; he was a very animated speaker with eyes that practically popped out of his head. He was handsome, for sure. Crystal-clear blue eyes, a well-built physique, and a smile that lit up the room. If she hadn’t been so caught up in her own thoughts, she would have noticed that a pair of eyes followed her as she made her way around the small crowd. He had taken notice of her as well; not too often a beautiful girl walks into the reptile house in black trousers and a feminine white blouse; the small hands that wanted to ask questions were completely ignored until his fellow employee coughed loud enough to bring him from his stupor.  
  
“And that is all the time we have with you guys today. Thanks again for being super welcoming to Moe, I’m sure he really appreciates how well-behaved you guys were. Now, Eli will walk you guys over to the Big Cats!” the group cheered and followed the curly haired man through the nearest exit in a haphazard line. The blue-eyed man gently put the large snake back into his traveling box while the third man on the team made quick work of catching up with the tour group.

“Good show today Moe. I think its time for lunch and a nap, what do you say?”

“I’m sure he didn’t appreciate being awake during the day much so a nap is definitely in order” Casey came around the corner, surprising him. She had beautiful from afar but she was even more so up close. Young, wide-set eyes that seemed older, much older. Her lips were full with a pronounced cupid’s bow that complimented her heart shaped face.

“Well, we usually only do this once in a blue moon” he peaked inside the box to see that Moe’s head had peaked underneath the lid. “Hey you, why aren’t you knocked out yet?”

“He probably wants to see an old friend” she pulled the lid off and brought Moe partially only her shoulders. He seemed to remember her, though most people attributed such traits to dogs, cats, and dolphins – Moe and Casey had a special bond that she could never explain, the snakes eyes spoke to her in ways that made her question her sanity at one point.

“I’m Kevin, the Reptile House’s supervisor. And I can tell you in the past 3 years I’ve been here, I have never seen Moe connect to another person besides myself” he gently pulled Moe from back into his box at the sound of another tour guide bringing in another group.   
  
“Oh good, I was hoping to run into you before tomorrow” she stuck her hand out “Casey Cooke, your new junior supervisor” her warm hand fit nicely in his larger one.  Kevin stood shell shocked at how young she was but, Lou-Lou was a sharp shooter when it came to people so he was going to have to trust her judgement on this one. Casey’s heart raced faster the longer their hands stayed intertwined, the shrill of Casey’s cell phone broke them of their slight trance.   
  
“That’s my roommate, she’s giving me a lift home. It was great meeting you Kevin, I’ll see you bright and early?” she had slipped her phone back into her back pocket.

“You bet”

As Casey walked towards the zoo's exit she willed her flushed face to fade before Claire saw her. 

_Well this got a lot more interesting._


	2. Same Face, Different Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello everyone! I am back again to bring you the next chapter and I am super excited the the creative bug has bitten me in time to really decide where I wanted to go with this. Also wanna say thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments - you are all fabulous and I love you. Enjoy!

“Casey!” Claire banged the bathroom door for the umpteenth time “You are not the only person in this house who needs to get ready. I would like to look like I didn’t just roll out of bed!” the blonde took another look at her watch and mentally calculated how much time she had to do her hair and make-up before she was actually late for her 7am class.

“Sorry, sorry!” Casey opened the door to let her roommate in before she readjusted her yellow polo while taking one last look in the mirror. Claire wedged herself past Casey looking for her straight iron when she realized it was already plugged in and hot. She took another look at Casey and noticed she had styled her hair into a sleek ponytail. Not that Casey ever left the house looking like a bum, but it was very unlike her to straighten her waves – especially so early in the morning.

“Are you wearing lipstick?!” Claire practically shrieked.

“It’s a tinted lip balm, stop yelling before you wake up Marcia” another tug at her polo “do I look okay? Presentable?”

“Case, you look great. What’s with all the effort? You’re working at the zoo, remember? Lots of sweat and animal smells, right?” the blonde began straightening her own hair while Casey tried to hide her blush.

“I just wanted to make a good impression on my first day” Casey and Claire made eye contact in the mirror. Claire smirked at Casey’s unease –Claire knew there was definitely a boy involved, one way or another.

“Whatever makes you feel good, just make sure you share the bathroom” she laughed “You still planning to walk? I won’t be long so I could drive you”

“Nah, I’m sure I could use the walk to calm my nerves” Casey picked up her backpack and did one last check before Claire jokingly shoved her out of the door.

 

“I don’t understand why you’re still here, your shift ended 15 minutes ago, remember? You already triple checked the map, so what’s your issue?”

“I wanted to make sure you don’t get any ideas. After our conversation last night, I am concerned that you’ll do something you’ll regret”

“I won’t, so relax,” a dejected sigh left Kevin’s lips, “Doesn’t her name in purple bother you?”

“I just thought she should have something brighter than black”

 

 

    Casey walked down the short hallway to take a quick peak at the map before heading into the reptile house. She admired the neatness of the handwriting along with how well coordinated the colors were on the map. _Definitely someone with OCD_ she thought as she snapped a picture on her phone. When she walked into the Reptile House she stopped first to say hello to Moe who seemed to still be awake.

“Hey handsome, hope you had an eventful night” she reached in a gently stroked his scales. He seemed to like the warmth and began to coil up her arm, “Whoa there boy, you have a heat lamp for that” she used her other hand to turn the lamp on a notch higher. Moe, as stubborn as he was, did cooperate when she gently moved him towards the branch right under the heat lamp.

“I don’t know whether I should be jealous with how easily Moe listens to you or if I should learn from you” Kevin appeared from behind the door with an energy drink in hand.

“Moe and I just understand each other” there it was, the wisdom in her voice that made her seemed older. Her smile was there but didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah” he took another gulp of his carbonated beverage “Let’s get to work”

When Casey had first volunteered at the zoo at 10 years old, her work duties were minimal and gave her the most time with animals. The zoo employees found her ease with even the most stubborn animals, admirable. When Moe first came to the zoo, they wondered whether he would be stable enough to be kept in captivity. A drug bust in downtown found him with a few ball pythons and a tiger ( _of all things!_ ). The reptile house had been equipped to house all the snakes but Moe seemed to have a personality all his own. He refused to eat as an act of rebellion to being kept in captivity. The reptilian expert at the time noticed that Moe’s jaw didn’t unhinge as well as it should – hard for a snake whose meals were swallowed whole to eat at all if the food was too big.   
         Casey had been asked to help out with the feedings of the ball pythons, they were young and small enough that they weren’t a real threat to her. She had just brought the empty tray back to the lab where the feed was prepared when she saw they had put Moe in a shallow tank under a heat lamp. It seemed he was losing strength and his scales held no shine and such dull color that the staff feared the worst.  After washing her tools, she sat next to the tank spoke to Moe. She told him how he’d love it at the zoo, no one to wear him like a scarf or use him as a scare tactic. She gently ran her fingers over his scales and promised she would be sure that she would be there as much as she could to remind him that this was the home he had been waiting for. The days that followed brought Moe’s appetite up and his demeanor changed completely. It came as a surprise to Casey when she realized what she had taken for black scales were really iridescent. She made her mission to keep Moe in good spirits so that he could continue to flourish.

                Casey’s end of the day routine consisted of doing a final lap around the reptile house, checking for belongings left behind and any lingering visitors that may have missed the zoo’s closing announcement. Once she was satisfied she sat in front of Moe’s tank and talked, just like she did when she was younger.

“You know Moe, it seems like you and I have changed a lot. We’ve grown up” she climbed into his night enclosure which Moe took as his opportunity to slither next to Casey.   
“I’m really happy you’re still around. You are all I had to look forward to back in those days. You were the only man I needed in my life” she laughed “I got out though, just like you did. I live with some friends now who are really understanding – maybe a little girlier than I was expecting but they care. It’s odd to have people that care as permanent fixtures in my life. I didn’t think I deserved them, I still don’t think I do but I am learning” she ran her hands over the reptile’s multicolored black scales. There is a small population of people who find snakes therapeutic and Casey was definitely one of them. She pressed a kiss to her palm and held to Moe’s skins, her way of saying I love you.

        After locking up, Casey wanted to say her good byes to her supervisor but could not find him. She stopped by Lou Lou’s office but noticed her door was closed already.

“Shoot, guess I missed everyone today” she was halfway down the hall when she heard footsteps ahead of her. She turned around and saw a familiar shaved head.

“Hey Kevin! I thought I missed yo-“the face that turned around was identical to Kevin’s but the stern lines in his brows and jaw were unfamiliar. This new face studied her, figuring her out before she spoke again. Had she seen the glasses first, maybe she wouldn’t have called out – but there was that gut feeling telling her she wasn’t in any real danger.

“He’s gone for the night” the deep baritone of his voice caused a shiver to run up Casey’s spine, a complete 180 from Kevin’s higher tenor.

“Oh, okay. I guess I’ll just have to see him tomorrow then” she made to move around him towards the exit when he spoke again.

“I’ll let him know you were looking for him” his speech slower, more deliberate; a detail Casey would think about later on. She nodded her thanks and quickly made it for the doors. She stopped before making it through the doors completely to see not-Kevin methodically spraying the zoo map and wiping away the dry-erase marker.

“Goodnight Dennis”


	3. A Date is a Chewy Fruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You ever just replay a situation over and over again until it makes your head spin? Yeah, same.

Casey spent the rest of her evening class going over the possibilities of what had transpired before leaving the zoo. Her thoughts kept replaying what Lou-Lou had said that first day.

  
_"Dennis is our master map maker"_

So did Kevin have a twin brother that just happen to work at the same zoo? Then why never mention it. He seemed like the type to mention something like that. He was so chatty and seemed like such an open book. Casey quickly jotted down the notes on the board so that she wasn't completely hopeless later when she attempted tonight's homework. Now that she thought about, he was outward and friendly but never divulged any personal information that didn't directly correlate to the zoo in some way. That revelation made Casey a little more anxious than she had been; maybe he, like her wasn't so trusting of people. She could understand that but how is it that he could skip such an important detail as having someone who looks identical to him that works at the same zoo? Casey rubbed the bridge of her nose and vowed not to bring it up until she had more evidence - or maybe talked to him or maybe Lou-Lou would know? How do you even bring up that you may or may not have met his evil twin? Or what if it wasn't another person at all? What was it that Claire had mentioned to her from her psych class about people with split personalities? PIP? DID? Did she mention it to Kevin at all? Did she ask? The questions overwhelmed her., they bombarded her brain one after another, after another.  
  
"Casey?"  
  
"Yeah?" she looked around her surroundings and noticed most of her classmates were making their way out the door. She laughed, embarrassment burning her cheeks as her professor raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior, keen to see Casey's mind was elsewhere.

"Everything alright ? You weren't very present in class today" the older woman's kind eyes reminded Casey of her mother, at least the few pictures she had of her.

"Just thinking about some work stuff" she quickly shoved her textbook and notebook back into her backpack.

"Completely understandable, dear. If you need any help with the assignment tonight, Tony is available - just send him an email or a text" she waved to the brunette who had begun to erase the board. Casey vaguely remembered her professor mentioning something about a TA available for tutoring.  
  
"I’m pretty open tonight so don't hesitate" Casey made a point to be present as she put his number and email in her phone - his warm smile and sweet brown eyes caused a hint of pink to flush her skin. She hurried home and prayed that she could focus long enough to get her school work done in time to get some sleep.  
  
Later that night as Casey struggled with her homework, she fought her mind's tendency to wander for over an hour before deciding to text Tony.  
  
_Hey! This is Casey Cooke from Proff. Peter's Calc 1 class. I am in desperate need of assistance on problem 23 of tonight's homework :'(_

_Well hello! Figured you were going to reach out eventually. I'd love to help you out of your conundrum. Text me what you have so far and I will see where I can help!_  
  
For the next hour or so, she was finally able to do her homework and find her focus. She found Tony to be a wonderful tutor and have a similar sense of humor. Thank goodness today ended on a much happier note.  
  
S _o if I wanted to thank you in person, what baked good should be present?'_   
  
She hoped it didn't sound like too much of a come on, just trying to outwardly show emotion and appreciation (her old therapist would be so proud).  
  
_I'm not much for sweets but I did noticed you work at the city zoo? Any chance you could get me in the reptile house to take a picture with the boa constrictor? I'm a huge fan of snakes!_

  
_I think I can work that out for you. Let me know when you're free and we'll make it a date_   
  
After hitting send Casey reread her text and immediately slapped a hand to her forehead. Really? Make it a date? She groaned in frustration at her own stupidity. It was this scene that Claire happen to walk by Casey's door.   


"You look like you're about to crawl out of your skin" Claire sat on Casey's bed, giggling at the red skin that became more prevalent the longer she stared.

"Probably because I am" she slid down to the floor and closed her eyes. Her phone vibrated and she looked at Claire begging to look for her.

"I totally think you're freaking out for no reason. Tony said sounds like a plan and added a winky face emoji" the blonde smirked. 

"Shut up no he didn't!" Casey rolled onto her stomach and climbed up the bed to sit next to Claire. She peeked over Claire's curtain of blonde hair and saw for herself that Tony had in fact added a winky face to his message . There was definitely a silver lining to this horribly awkward day. She hugged Claire and flopped onto her back with a sigh of relief.   
  
"So are you going to tell me who Tony is or...?" Claire flopped right next to Casey.   


"He's my calculus TA…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Dennis and Moe (our beautiful boa who's got an attitude). Next chapter will come up faster since I just couldn't stop writing! Thank you again for the love!


	4. Outside Your Comfort Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been quite a long time since I've thought about this story....*hides behind chair to avoid objects being thrown at head*. I'll be honest, I had a major case of writer's block and when I would find bursts of inspiration I would write them down in a notebook instead of typing them. So, here we are after almost a year of being MIA and I hope to keep this going more regularly because I FINALLY HAVE AN OUTLINE FOR THIS DAMN THING. So sit tight and enjoy this chapter and I SWEAR the next one will come out much sooner than this one.

      A month later.....  

 

           If you asked Casey Cooke what knowledge she had about slumber parties she could tell you every scene of a movie that featured a slumber party of some sort - especially the ones in horror movies. But any firsthand accounts? That was a negative; having spent a majority of her childhood keeping her home life a secret, Casey very rarely had friends. It was a miracle that Claire and Marcia had been  _just_ friendly enough to warrant them accepting Casey as their roommate. So, it could be said that it would be inevitable that the aforementioned roommates would drag Casey out of her room on a Saturday night and plop her on their sky blue couch for a make-shift slumber party. 

"Do we have the pillow fight now or later?" Casey joked as she watched Marcia and Claire grab the pillows from their beds (Casey's included) and threw them on the floor of the living room. 

"Hardy har-har Case, we are going to sit on them while we do each other's nails" Marcia whacked the brunette over the head which caused her hair to fall from its make-shift bun. The girls laughed until tears streaked their cheeks. Once the laughter subsided, the girls popped corn and made a batch of double chocolate brownies. Though it seemed Casey found the whole ritual a bit cliche, she actually loved every minute of it. She had never felt so comfortable in her own skin than she did with her two friends. 

"So Casey," Marcia carefully painting a coat of ox red polish on the brunette's left hand had asked "how's your super hot boss? Have your professed your love for him yet?" 

"Cute boss and cute TA? Damn Casey, look at you being a little heart breaker" Claire spoke from her spot on the couch, trying to find a movie for them to watch on Netfllix.

"Oh it's ... there’s nothing going on, especially with my boss" Casey sighed, "he's just really nice and totally doesn't need me for anything important. Just to pick up the extra work he can't get to" She looked up at Marcia admiring her curls as she pushed them up into a ponytail. 

"And a total fox, I mean hello blue eye'd boss man" Claire looked at Marcia.

"Can we just not talk about this sudden increase in men in my life? One is my boss and the other is my tutor. Zero romance" Marcia rolled her eyes as she put the final top coat on Casey's nails.

"That's what sleepovers are for Case" Claire said, looking at Marcia They wordlessly gave Casey similar faces.

"Girl talk" they said in unison. 

Casey admired her nails – trying to avoid the topic of girl talk, _the blood red color would contrast with Moe beautifully_.

"Listen Case, boys are simple minded creatures, but they are horrible at communication. Seeing as Marsh and I have some experience with boys we can help or at least, be really good listeners so you don’t have to deal with this yourself”

Casey looked between both girls, taking a deep breath.  _Friends are to help you. You don't have to do this alone anymore, Casey._

“Well, I got a text from Tony, my T.A earlier today” the girls did their best to keep their excitement low to keep Casey talking, “he said he was heading out with some buddies to McMullen’s tonight. Have you guys ever been?” Casey’s eyes were glued to the television as she waited for a response.

“So what time are we going?” Claire turned the TV off which caused Casey to move her gaze to her now, overly eager roommates.

“Huh?”

“Well obviously it was an invite, right?” the blonde pulled Casey’s phone off the coffee table to find the text in question unanswered.

_Heading out to McMullens tonight with some friends if you wanna join_

“Guys, I can’t. It would be so weird. He’s in grad school and totally has his life together and we only really text each other calculus question and the occasional talk of snakes because I work at the zoo” her response seemed to fall on deaf ears as Claire and Marcia pulled Casey into their shared bathroom.

“You’re gonna shower while Marsh and I decide what you’re wearing then _we_ are going to McMullens together”

_Oh no._

_\--------------------------_

 

Only Dennis would think coming to the university’s only Irish pub on a game day (rugby that is) would be a relaxing experience. There was something about how the bar tender’s neat and well-organized liquors and glassware brought some kind of inner peace within Dennis’ OCD ridden mind. The bar tender was an older man, hair and beard white as snow with grandfather eyes – but no student would be fooled by his kind demeaner. Old man McMullen could fight with the best of them; having played rugby up until his 60th birthday had kept him in shape and strong as an ox. _You would need to be in order to calm down drunk 20-year-old_ s.

Dennis hadn’t originally planned to go out tonight, but Kevin had been badgering him all week to go out and enjoy himself. His job was so solitary, which is how he liked it. He cleaned the zoo in peace and wrote out the map for the following day – no one to bother him and no one to force Dennis to be social in any way shape or form. He had almost thought to bring Barry along but bringing a social butterfly that everyone immediately loved just made his social anxiety that much worse. So no, Dennis had gone out of the house – _per Kevin’s request_ – and had gone somewhere with people. Old man McMullen had greeted him and cleanly poured a blonde from the tap and even wiped the bottom of the glass before placing it directly in the center of a pristine white napkin. Dennis nodded his appreciation and took a sip of the bitter drink and took in his surroundings for the evening.

It seemed the men’s rugby team had won and was hosting the away team for the evening. They stayed to one side of the bar, an unspoken rule passed down from team captain to team captain while other non-rugby related patrons stuck to the opposite side of the bar. Dennis looked down at his watch and wondered how long he’d have to be out of the house to satisfy Kevin’s need for him to be social. Well, he had been a bit more social than he lead on. He had spoken to the new girl at work, _how else was Kevin supposed to know she had been looking for him especially concerning Moe?_ Then again, he hadn’t even told Kevin. He had been too stunned at his own actions. She was a beautiful girl yes but what had struck him most were her eyes. They seemed older, like she had seen things – hard things. A look he knew all to well because his own eyes held that same look. _But he was older, had gone to fight a war – of course his eyes were that way but why her? She was so young! What horrors had life shown her? What torture had she gone through?_ Dennis hastily swallowed the remaining half of his beer before chastising himself for caring. _It is none of my business._ But as the all-knowing bar keep brought him another glass, he couldn’t help his thoughts from flitting back to the girl with wide set eyes and cupid bow lips.

 

 -------------------------

 

“Claire, you can’t be serious” Casey threw her blonde roommate a stare that would have killed.

“Caaaaaseyyyyy! Just hold still and let me highlight!” Casey harrumphed and held still as Claire gently caressed her cheeks in a soft champagne glow. They really hadn’t gone overboard with her outfit. She had on her own black jeans and black combat boots but had been forced into an oversized off-the shoulder sweater in a lovely maroon color. It had come close showing off her scar but with a nude colored tank top underneath, she was safe. Her hair had been curled just slightly to enhance the natural curl in her hair while Claire had gone easy with the make-up; a good amount of mascara, a lovely subdued highlight, and a better-than-natural lip color. When Casey looked at herself in Marcia’s full-length mirror she liked the reflection. Like her, just a little enhanced as Marcia said.

“So, I know we got you all dolled up and ready to go”, Claire pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, “but if you really don’t wanna go speak now or forever hold your peace”. Casey looked at the blonde and saw the sincerity in her voice. _If I really don’t wanna go, we don’t have to_. Marcia had looked up from pulling up her knee-high boots and nodded in agreement.

“We’ll leave as soon as I say so, right?” she turned to face her two friends, _friends._

“Absolutely Casey” said Claire.

“No arguments” said Marcia.

“Alright” taking a deep breath “Let’s do this”.


	5. It's all or nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure, let's meet a boy at a bar. That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all

        Bars didn’t really hold an interest for Casey, alcohol seemed to be the root of her problems growing up. Uncle John didn’t take the death of his younger brother well, to  _put it mildly_. Casey would learn in therapy that Uncle John had a coping mechanism, the drinking. But that coping mechanism put Casey’s life in danger and her therapist often told Casey that she was different than her uncle. Casey was special,  _was pure_. The only thing Uncle John and she had in common was the blood that made them family, and that didn’t seem to be enough to protect Casey from his blows. The last one nearly killing her.

            As the three girls entered the bar, Casey could feel her stomach tighten at the smell of alcohol in the air. Marcia noticed Casey’s discomfort and gently squeezed the hand closest to her. Casey squeezed back and answered Marcia’s unasked question.  _I’m okay, I have friends, I am safe._ Her eyes scanned the bar and found that there was a neat divide between the school’s rugby team and the other patrons of the bar. Marcia and Claire seemed to know their way around and pulled Casey along to the happy middle between both sides.

“Do you see him anywhere?” Claire looked over at the rugby side to see if she could find someone matching Casey’s description.

“I don’t think so” her eyes scanning the other patrons sitting at the circular bar. Casey looked down at her phone and thought maybe she should have mentioned to Tony that she was coming out.

“Its okay, we’ll just hang out and if he’s not around in like half an hour, we can make it home early enough to watch an episode of Riverdale before we go to bed” the blonde wiggled her eyebrows at her two friends. Casey rolled her eyes and felt as if eyes were on her. She looked up to the older bar keep who was making his way towards them, but the feeling didn’t go away. Her eyes moved across the others sitting at the bar. A couple too involved with one another to look up, a couple of younger students – freshmen maybe? – trying to decide what to drink, a woman who sipped a glass of wine while reading some sort of novel, and then –

“Good Evening Ladies, anything to drink?” the gravel of the old man’s voice pulled Casey’s vision back to the man in front of her.

“We’ll take whatever is on tap” Marcia voiced behind Casey. The older man looked between the girls and stopped at Casey.

“I’ll actually just take a water” she nervously tucked a loose strand behind her ear.

“That’s what I thought” he moved effortlessly across the bar, pouring the beer effortlessly. Casey envied the confidence in what he did, part muscle memory and part being at ease. He looked up and tilted his head slightly towards someone and when Casey followed his gaze, her voice caught in her throat. Piercing blue eyes framed in black-rimmed glasses met her large brown eyes.

“Hey Casey, is that him?” Casey’s eyes went towards Claire’s voice then back to where she swore she saw her not-boss. But the seat was empty.

“Hey Casey! You came out!” Tony pulled Casey into a quick hug which brought the tightness back into Casey’s stomach. He was dressed more casually then his normal button up shirt and slacks that he wore to class. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up to the elbow with dark jeans – the dark aesthetic complimenting his mocha skin that matched Marcia’s.

“Uh yeah I thought we’d stop by for a bit” Claire and Marcia nodding their agreement while eyeing his friends.

“I’m glad you did”, his eyes took notice of her friends eyeing his own “Guys this is Casey, she’s the girl I told you about who works at the zoo”

 “Oh yeah, your snake charmer” the brunette to his left gave Tony a shit-eating grin, “I’m Leon, I’m one of Tony’s few friends in the College of Science at the university” Leon’s easy smile contradicted the look he had just given Tony less than 4 seconds before.

“So, what am I? His boyfriend?” the 3rd of the group finally tore his eyes away from Claire. He ran a rough hand through his rust-colored hair while giving the other two an incredulous look.

“No of course not Riley, don’t get so damn riled up about it” Leon’s eyebrows accentuating the pun he made.

“Riley here” Tony elbowed him in the ribs to shake his fowl mood “has been my best friend since we were 5 years old and he’s the smartest of us all. He’s getting his master’s in crazy people”

“Oh, that’s how I know you!” Claire exclaimed, “you were the TA for Professor Fletcher’s Intro to Psych class, right?” Claire’s excitement seemed to bring Riley’s mood back up.

“She’s actually my advisor on my thesis for grad school. She’s an adjunct professor but because she has her own practice and is an alumna of the school she’s allowed to take me under her wing”

“That’s really great Riley” Leon’s voice full of sarcasm, “but that doesn’t change the fact you have to spend 90 percent of your week with Philly’s looniest” Leon finished what remained of his whiskey and gave a wave over to the bartender.

“Well I think that’s a really noble cause Riley” Casey spoke up “I mean, I think mental illness is still so misunderstood, so I am sure whatever your research comes up will be beneficial”

“Thank you, Casey! See, at least Tony is associating with underclassmen who have common sense”

“And she’s basically a snake whisperer” Marcia chimed in. Before Tony could add anything else, McMullen brought Leon’s drink over.

“Did you boys need refills on anything else? Ladies?” the group took another round of refills before moving to a table away from the bar. The booth was meant for 4 but since Tony opted to stand, Casey took the aisle while Marcia and Claire sat on the inside while the other 2 boys occupied the other side.

“So Casey, when are you bringing our boy out to the zoo to play with the snakes?” Leon’s smirk disappeared once making contact with Tony’s glare.

“Whenever his schedule frees up, I guess. If you guys wanna join, I’d be happy to take you all on a group tour” Casey looked over at her roommates who had already been on a private tour of the zoo.

“That’s a great idea Casey but I don’t know if the guys are up to it” Tony pleaded with his eyes for his friends to read his mind.  _You are NOT invited, contrary to what was just said to you._

“Casey’s a great tour guide, she took Marcia and I on a tour a few weeks ago and it was pretty cool – and I’m not honestly a ‘zoo enthusiast’ but Casey made it fun” Claire smiled at Riley, coaxing him to say yes.

“Well if you insist Blondie, I’m in” Leon took a slow sip of drink daring Tony to say something.

“I’ll go if you guys go” Riley’s green eyes conveying his apology to Tony while trying to simultaneously give Claire a playful smile.

“Well it looks like we’re all going” Tony said defeated,  _some friends I have. Can’t even let me have her to myself._

“How about next Saturday?” Marcia queried, looking at her calendar and then to the group.

Simultaneous nods brought a smile to Casey’s face,  _this makes it less awkward for me that’s for sure._

“Great, it’s decided then!” Marcia raise her glass that prompted everyone else to follow suit.

\------------------------------

                     Dennis' short night out had turned into part stake-out, part spying. How was it that the universe would play such a cruel joke on him? Was it because he didn't leave his apartment enough? Was it because he had thought of her when he shouldn't? Because he never told Kevin that he lingered in the zoo parking lot in the morning just to see her walk in? Probably some combination of it all knowing the way his life seemed to work. He had been looking down at his phone, reading an article when he looked up to find her in a small trio at the far end of the bar. She had made eye contact and he did the only logical thing to do - changed seats. He hoped he had done it quickly enough so that she hadn't seen him move to a small booth tucked into a corner. There he read in peace and drank his beer slowly, ever so slightly still able to see her at the bar and then still at the table they moved to. McMullen kept an eye for him, never questioning his behavior, knowing Dennis well enough to know that there were some things he just didn't need to know. 

She was beautiful when she smiled, something about the way her cheekbones became more pronounced and the perfect whiteness of her teeth gave Dennis a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. She intrigued him for sure but, she also seemed to have Kevin enamored. Not that Dennis and Kevin were ever in the daylight together at the same time, their work schedules conflicted, and Kevin favored his weekends to spend with their mutual group of friends while Dennis stayed home to do the chores.  _That's the problem with being the twin with OCD, it’s a perfect excuse leave me the cleaning. I shudder at the thought of what Kevin's place looked like before I came back state side._ Dennis rubbed the bridge of his nose and though he hated the thought of using a public restroom, his bladder could care less. He trusted that the rugby team hadn’t completed trashed the bathroom and removed his ever-convenient yellow microfiber rag from his back pocket to use as barrier from the germs.

_\-------------------------------------_

                The group seemed to mesh well and stayed there for the remainder of the evening. Casey couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched, the skin on the back of her neck prompted her to turn but when she did she couldn't find eyes on her.  _I've gotta stop being so damn paranoid._ Her eyes would scan the room, from corner to corner to see if she could find eyes on her.

“Hey Case, bathroom?” Marcia whispered, excusing them both from the group. Casey waited outside the single person bathroom while Marcia used it first. She was scrolling through her phone when a fairly young rugby player stumbled into the small hallway. She watched as he tried to open the door to the men’s room that seemed to be occupied.

“Bro, I’ve gotta take a leak” his speech slurred made his whine even more peculiar. He seemed to speak into the door, letting the occupant know he was waiting.

“If you wait another minute you can use the girls bathroom” Casey spoke in her soft, gritty voice – not too loud, like approaching a scared animal. At that moment, Marcia had opened the door to look surprised to see another person beside Casey in the hallway.

“Oh, thank god!!” he rushed into the bathroom, dropping his pants before the girls could close the door completely.

“Oh jeez! These rugby guys go hard” Marcia giggled as Casey covered her eyes to hopefully prevent the image of a profoundly white ass from lingering in her mind too long.

“Well, if rugby guy doesn’t finish before the other guy in the men’s bathroom, will you watch the door for me?” Casey wasn’t too uncomfortable with using the men’s bathroom, Uncle John often brought her into the men’s room when she was younger even when she was able to go by herself.

“Yeah I got your back”

“I really shouldn’t have offered the girl’s bathroom, huh?” Casey looked over at the door as they heard the faint noise of someone puking.

“Not your best move Case” Marcia leaned against the opposite wall to distance herself from the barfing noises “But Tony? What a cutie! He’s totally your speed and he is so into you” Marcia wiggled her eyebrows.

“You think? I mean, he’s just really easy to talk to and he’s so sweet” Casey shrugged her shoulders, unsure of how to tell when a boy liked you or not. _Well, I’m not a normal 20-year-old so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this point”_

“Oh, totally! His friend Leon on the other hand, is a complete ass hat. I’d love to smack that smirk off his face after that comment he made about my hair” the curly brunette nervously flipped her hair over one shoulder.

“Oh he’s just using that cause it keeps him control, makes him full on masochistic pride” Casey nervously rubbed her clavicle, remembering a time when Uncle John found verbal abuse to be just as affective as physical.

Before Marcia could comment, the door to the men’s room opened revealing a familiar face.

_If I pretend not to know him, will he let it go_

_If I say hello, will she know I’m not Kevin?_

Dennis nervously readjusted his glasses before nodding to Casey and turning towards the exit. Casey’s mind flashed to the last time she had seen Dennis, she had almost passed it off as a figment of her imagination. She hadn’t even mentioned it to Kevin, _I mean how do you ask your boss “Hey boss man, do you know the night janitor looks just like you?”_ Casey heard the door open to the bar’s entrance/exit and looked towards Marcia.

“If I’m not back inside in like 10 minutes, come get me okay?” Casey only waited long enough for Marcia to nod her head to start running outside.  When she made her way out into the cold night, she only slightly regretted not grabbing her jacked but decided the oversized sweater would keep her warm enough – _10 minutes or less._

Casey looked around to find Dennis hadn’t gotten far, having only just made it to the sidewalk walking north. She jogged to catch up to him and before she could decide how she would greet him, he abruptly turned to face her. His face stern, held in that same frown she tried to picture on Kevin’s face but couldn’t – even if she had seen in person one.

“What are you doing out here?” the deep baritone brought a shiver to travel Casey’s spine, the _slight_ New York accent caused her eye brows to knit.

“I uh…“ what was she doing? _I guess I don’t find it nearly as weird asking not-Kevin why he and Kevin look so similar._

“Dennis, right?” her voice confident though she was trembling internally.

“Yes ma’am” his voice, like the rest of him was so rigid and clipped.

“I had a question, and I had meant to ask Kevin but it usually only comes up when I’m not at work” she laughed nervously “why is it that you and him look so similar?” she internally cringed at her own question. _What if you’re the only one who thinks they look alike? Maybe if they stood next to one another maybe they look nothing alike. Jeez Case sometimes you really…_

“We’re twins, identical” his head tilted slightly as if surprised she had asked.

“Oh really?” her body slumping as the tension finally left her body, she wasn’t crazy.

“Yes, we are identical in every physical aspect” He looked her over and noticed how her face glowed under the light of the street lamp, he made sure not to stare too long at fullness of her lips – his eyes kept in the safety of her eyes.

“That’s really cool, I didn’t know Kevin was a twin” her smile hesitated slightly at the confession, wondering why Dennis’ frown seemed to deepen somehow. Dennis thought it was odd that Kevin hadn’t mentioned it to someone he worked with daily, for hours on end. But then again, Dennis hadn’t made an effort to talk to her again after that one night. But it was still odd that Kevin hadn’t mentioned it _at all._ Maybe it had something to do with what he had said after meeting her for the first time.

“Yes, well that answers your question” Dennis seemed uncomfortable, a little peeved at Kevin not mentioning him at all. _Everyone at the zoo knows we’re twins. Even if they’ve never seen me, Kevin was very adamant about everyone knowing his twin worked with him._

“Uhm yeah, that answers it” Casey took this time to really look at Dennis’ face. She’d never seen identical twins in real life, _if I really got to know Kevin, I wonder if I could ever tell them apart?_ “I really like what you did, the map. I’ve always wanted to have something like that when I volunteered in high school”

“I felt the zoo lacked any structure, so I offered Lou-Lou an option that would benefit everyone and increase the efficiency”

“I snap a picture every morning so its nice to finally meet you officially” her hand extended and though he hesitated, Dennis reached out and covered Casey’s small hand. Upon touch, Casey felt the faintest shiver go down her spine.

“Likewise” Dennis’ voice seemed to cause the same reaction as his touch had. Dennis had mistaken her shiver to do with the cold. His eyes lingered a hint too long at her bare shoulder and noticed that she had followed him without a coat. _Had she brought a coat when she walked into the bar?_

Dennis, ever the gentleman, shrugged out of his black leather jacket and placed it over Casey’s shoulders, careful to not make any bodily contact.

“Thank you” surprise coloring the brunette’s voice.

“It’s cold out and the body’s instinct is to protect the internal organs. The extremities are the most susceptible to hypothermia” Dennis said as if he was reading from a text book.

The shrill of Casey’s phone broke the awkward silence that had followed his statement.

 “Hey, oh okay, I’ll meet you guys by the front doors” Casey looked back at Dennis who seemed to be on the cusp of saying something.

“I guess I’ll see you at work Monday? I’ve gotta get back to my friends”

“I look forward to it, Casey” the way he said her name caused her to turn back towards him, something twisting in the pit of her stomach, “Let me walk you back, wouldn’t be right to make you walk alone”

“Oh, thank you, it’s okay though. We didn’t make it far” she laughed, more easily then the first he had heard. Dennis had already started to walk back towards the bar and Casey fell easily in step with him. When they rounded the corner, Casey saw that her friends and Tony’s friends seemed to be exchanging numbers.

“Those are my people” she began to pull Dennis’ jacket off when Dennis stopped her – his hand gently pulling it back to cover her shoulders.

“Its cold out. Bring it to work and leave it for me in Lou-Lou’s office” Dennis’ voice was softer than Casey thought he could be. She looked over back to her friends and noticed Tony had started to walk towards them. Dennis followed her line of sight and nodded to Casey as his goodbye.

_This is why I should have told Kevin to shove it and stayed home_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Chapter up took longer than I wanted to but here it is! Hope you enjoyed where I am going with this. You'll be seeing a lot more characters as I write more so stay tuned!


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